I keep my silence, hoping Luke will leave after calming down without saying anything.
But he speaks.
"How could you be so careless?" he says.
That makes me angry.
"I was not careless. You can't possibly think what happened was my fault?"
"You got yourself cornered in there. He could've hurt you," he says.
You know how sometimes you get so angry you feel like you're about to cry? I feel like that now.
"Luke, I don't know what impression you have of me is. But neither was I careless nor was I helpless. My father is a Beta. So is yours. You should know I could've handled the situation. We're the same."
"No. We are not," he says right away.
His words pierce through me like a keen arrow.
"Fine. We are not. I'm sorry I was careless and helpless. It won't happen again. Thanks for helping me," I tell him. At this point, I'll say anything to make him leave.
"Sarcasm doesn't suit you," he says.
"So now you know not only what I am and what I'm not, but also what suits me and what doesn't?"
"I know you're upset with me, Rose. But whether you like it or not, we are mates. My wolf can't stay calm if we find you in danger."
I turn away. "It's your problem, not mine," I say.
"Why are you making it difficult for us?" he asks.
I turn back to him. "I am the one making it difficult? Really? You even remember the day we found out we are mates? We agreed to reject each other and move on. I kept my end of the agreement. You did, too – for a while. But then you started d–" I look outside my window as my voice starts to shake. I take a deep breath and blink to keep the tears at bay. "You need to stop acting like you're my mate."
"But I am you m–"
"It's over, Luke. That's what rejecting each other means. We're no longer mates."
"Then why did you let me touch you that night?" he asks.
"I wavered for a moment. That's all."
"It was not for a moment," he says. "If Claire hadn't d–"
"What do you want, Luke?! What do you want from me? Why are we even having this conversation? I'm confused," I say, looking back at him.
"I need you to stop ignoring me. I called you. I sent you messages. But you avoided me."
Luke tried to contact me after the day we camped. I didn't want to know what he had to say. I was feeling miserable enough already, I didn't need him to add more to the misery.
"Okay. I'm here now. I'm not ignoring you. What is it you want to say?"
He looks out the windshield. "It can wait," he says.
"No. I'm done waiting. Let's get this over with once and for all. Then I won't have to see you again."
Luke hits the car door, startling me. "You know, Rose, you can be really mean sometimes. Is that what you want? Not to see me ever again?"
"Then what do you think I want?"
He looks back out the windshield and breathes out. "I wanted to ask you out. That's why I called."
I laugh bitterly. "You want to cheat on your girlfriend with m–"
"We broke up," he says. "I broke up with her right after you left the carnival with him. Seeing you with Andy, I couldn't – I just lost it. I couldn't imagine a future where you were not mine. And I didn't want to be with anyone else while I had feelings for you."
